EAS VIII: High Efficiency Forward Swept Propellers at Low Speed

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 2 Comments

Working with Craig D. Paxton, Peter J. Gryn, Erisa K Hines, and  Ulises Perez, Dr. Ge-Cheng Zha of the University of Miami Department of Aeronautics and a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellow, has worked on a method to improve propeller efficiency and reduce blade  stall using a forward tangential swept configuration.  Dr. Zha wowed EAS VII attendees last year with his astonishing high-lift, high-speed wing design.  This year, he gave hope for advanced propeller design. The professor and his team are trying to increase general aviation fuel efficiency and reduce pollution.  Propellers, imparting the energy from the engine or motor to the air, are a good place to start. Most current propellers are axial and are straight bladed or have blades with a backward sweep, the well-known scimitar blade shape.  This approach mimics the advantages gained from swept wings.  Zha’s team borrowed from turbofan technology to develop forward tangential swept propellers.  They might have looked at sailplanes like the …